Pestera Ursilor - Chiscau (Bears Cave - close to Oradea University)

Bears Cave dwells an extraordinary range of stalagmite and stalactite formations varying in size and forms as well as a lot of like marks and fossils of cave bear - Ursus Spelaeus - which disappeared more than 15,000 years ago. The cave entrance - which is situated at 482 m altitude - is by the tourist pavilion comprising a waiting room, a bar and a stand with handicraft products specific to this region. The Bears Cave is 1 km in length. It is disposed on two-overlapped levels: one which is superior having 488 m in length, fitted out for tourist reasons and an interior one, temporarily active, having 521 m in length, being considered scientific reservation. The visiting of the Bears Cave starts with the Bears Gallery where skeleton fossils of Ursus Peleus are found and continues with Emil Racovita Gallery, rich in stalagmitic and stalactitic massive and ends with the Candles Gallery. The visiting takes about an hour. Authorized guides will accompany you.

Cave Pictures

Description

Pestera Ursilor means Bears' Cave. The cave was named so, as numerous "cave bears" (Ursus spelaeus) were found in this cave. The cave was visited by these large animals more than 15.000 years ago. But one day, a rock slide closed the entrance while more than 140 bears were still in the cave. Becoming hungry, the bears killed one another until all were dead. This story is told by their remains, tons of bear bones covering the floor of large parts of the cave with the marks of bear teeth.

Now the cave was undisturbed until 17-SEP-1983, when the cave was discovered during quarry works. The marble and limestone of this area was mined by the inhabitants of the nearby village Chiaycau. So the rediscovery of the cave after a blast, was only a matter of time. The first one who visited the cave was the quarry worker Curta Traian from Chiyacau.